Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams

Beneath the shady Forrest of Ele River, while my Best Friend has walked towards the
Fertile plains to survey the Reapers, or perhaps asscends the Rugged Hills to View
the sportive Flocks, I take up my pen to Congratulate you, most sincerely to Congratulate
you on the safe Return of yours, from the Busy and wearisom scenes of politics, pleasure,
and politeness, to the still Delights of Domestic Felicity, where the Gladned mother
Can scarcly suppress the tear of Rapture, to [listen?] and smile Alternately at the Narrations of her young traveler, and the simple tale,
with which the two younger Masters (Emulous for Papahs Attention) strive to Entertain
Him, while the observing Daughter silently Watches Every accent, and treasures up
Every article of Inteligence for her Future improvement. The Father Thanks His Neglegent
Countrymen for suffering Him so soon to Indulge in the Highest Joys of Life. But the
patriot must secretly Chide the want of Decission, that Inattention to the Interests
of the states, that has permited him thus Early to Leave Europe, when by a Longer
stay He might have Rendered them such Essential service.

When I participate the Family Happiness, and take a part in the Felicity of my Friends,
I Flatter myself it is an Emenation of Benevolence.

But There is not a spark of patriotism in the Cordial Gratulation in the Larger scale
which is the Measure of patriotic Merit. What are the Little streams of social affection,
the Heart felt pleasure of the Wife, the parent and the Friend, who would not sacrifice
without a sigh these smaller Considerations when pro bono publico Requires, always assured of the Gratitude and applause of the unchanging Multitude.

But to be serious both you and I wish well to our Country, and will hope that some
Good may result Even from the Mistakes of Her Rulers.

It is strongly impressed on my mind that the Return of a Gentleman Rather unexpectedly
to his American Friends, May Give a New turn to the state of parties, and Eventually
be productive of Happy Consequences. But my design is to say Little of public affairs.
The full Heart Enwrapt (after the Anxieties and impatience of a Long abscence) in
the tender scenes of Mutual affection has no Room, at pre[sent for]1 Forreign Cares. Yet hope your own Happiness will not prevent the Recollection, nor
His Avocations the Completion of a promiss you made when we parted to Come to Plimouth
soon after Mr. Adams Came home. You Little Thought then I should have a Demand upon
you so soon. However I shall not Relinquish it. I will not admit Even the Indolence
of Felicity as an Excuse. And though it has been observed by some that Indolence is
Characteristic of Genius, I think { 219 } Generosity Indicates a Greatness of soul that will supply the Defects of Genius, but
when we see them united in their Exertions to Bestow Happiness, we then see the perfection
of Human Nature. And with my Friendly and Respectful Complements to Mr. Adams you
will tell him this Visit shall be placed on the List of Charities. But if he is a Believer in the Doctrine of superrerogation, He will have more to do, for more will Certainly be Required. Mean time I shall
hear from you both if you wish to Gratify your assured & affectionate Freind,

[signed] Marcia Warren

My Regards to Monseur [Jeany?] and to the sister of the young Frenchman.2

2. Probably a playful reference to JQA, “the young Frenchman,” and his sister.

Docno: ADMS-04-03-02-0170

Author: Lovell, James

Recipient: Adams, Abigail

Date: 1779-08-09

James Lovell to Abigail Adams

[dateline] Aug. 9th. [1779]

Indeed, my lovely anxious Friend, you lead me to doubt whether Mr. A. is really on
the Water: The Report of the Alliance being in Concert with a 40 Gun Ship on a secret
Expedition tallies with Something of which I am certain. A Man of War of that Size
has been given up to the “Direction” of John Paul Jones, and the Name has been changed
to“Poor Richard” that it may not appear to belong to the french Marine. Our Commissioners have moreover certified under their Hands to Jones that
he is still in the American Navy tho' he had quitted it some time ago for that of France, but did not give up
his Commission. I formed my Conjectures upon first receiving that Intelligence, and
your Anecdote confirms me therein so far as that I expect soon to hear of blazing Retaliation.

And has not that very philosophic Politician1 been yet to see you? I shall grow highly disgusted at my public Employment if its
certain or even natural Tendency is to make me insensible of “the thousand nameless
Anxieties that distress the tender hearts of your Sex” or inattentive to a proper
Call to exert myself in relieving them.

My Letter in answer to a former one of yours is before this in your Hand and will
convince you that the dreaded Callosity has not yet fixed upon my Heart. I have therein
attempted, nor ought it to be in vain on such grounds, to give your Bosom Ease by
directing you to repose it on that Assemblage of Merit which originates and finishes
{ 220 } your Husband's Conduct uniformly. Good as he was, when I first had the pleasure of
knowing him, I do not recollect that he was quite such a Man as he now appears. Indeed, it was before his Marriage. He did full credit
to the Books he had studied. He now shows that it is more efficacious to read Virtue in a living
Character.

Whether he is on his Way home or not, it may be a satisfaction to you to have the
following copy.

In Congress Aug. 6. 1779

Resolved That an Allowance of eleven thousand four hundred & twenty eight Livres Tournois
per Annum be made to the several Commissioners of the United States in Europe for
their Services, besides their reasonable Expences respectively.

That the Salary as well as the Expences be computed from the Time of their leaving
their places of abode to enter on their offices, and be continued three months after
Notice of their Recall, to enable them to return to their families respectively.

That the several Commissioners, Commercial Agents and others in Europe entrusted with
public Money be directed to transmit without delay their Accounts and Vouchers, and
also triplicate Copies of the same to the Board of Treasury of these United States
in order for Settlement.

Resolved That a suitable Person be appointed by Congress to examine the said Accounts
in Europe and certify his Opinion thereon previous to their being transmitted.2

Extracted from the Minutes by JL

There is an authentic account that France has absolutely refused the Mediation of
Spain; and that the latter would declare herself speedily after the 20th. of June.

That the Count D'Orvilliers had sail'd towards Corunna with 30 Ships of the Line where he was to be joined by 20
spanish.

25,000 Troops are ready on the Coast of France for a Descent on Ireland.

2. These resolutions were adopted in consequence of a report by the Board of Treasury.
The text in JCC, 14:928–929, varies slightly but not significantly.

On 2 Sept. Robert Troup, secretary of the Treasury Board, transmitted copies of these
resolutions to JA, together with an order of Congress of 26 Aug. requesting JA “to inclose his Accounts and Vouchers to the Board of Treasury that they may take
Order thereon” (letter and enclosures in Adams Papers). JA { 221 } had been prepared for this by Lovell's letter of 9 Aug. and was apparently quite ready to submit his accounts when Troup's notification reached
him in mid-September while he was deeply engaged in drafting the Massachusetts Constitution.
On 19 Sept. he addressed a long and illuminating letter to the Board of Treasury covering his
accounts for his recently completed diplomatic mission, in four separate schedules,
A through D, together with all the vouchers for expenditures that he could supply
and an explanation of how the joint commissioners and he personally had recorded receipts
and expenditures (LbC, Adams Papers, printed in JA, Works, 7:111–114, without the schedules and vouchers, of which JA did not retain copies; see further on in this note). From the beginning of Oct. 1778
he had himself kept the Commission's books, finding the Franklins' method too desultory,
and of course he was unable to supply vouchers that were still in their hands.

Among his own expenses, he pointed out, were some for books, which he explained as
follows:

“I found myself in France, ill versed in the Language, the Literature, the Science,
the Laws, Customs and Manners of that Country, and had the Mortification to find my
Colleagues, very little better informed than myself, vain as this may seem. I found
also that Dr. Franklin, Mr. Deane and Mr. Lee, had expended considerable sums for
Books, and this appeared to me, one of the most necessary, and usefull Ways in which
Money had ever been spent in that Country. I therefore did not hesitate to spend the
sums mentioned in this Account in this Way, in the Purchase of such a Collection of
Books, as were calculated to qualify me for Conversation and for Business, especially
the science of Negotiation. Accordingly the Books are a Collection, of Books concerning
the french Language and Criticism, concerning french History, Laws, Customs and Manners,
but above all a large Collection of Books on the public Right of Europe and the Letters
and Memoirs of those Ambassadors and public Ministers who had acquired the fairest
Fame and done the greatest services to their Countries in this Way.

“The Honourable Board will judge whether this is a 'reasonable expence,' and whether
it ought, or ought not to be deducted from the Allowance I shall submit to their Judgment
with entire Satisfaction.”

JA was also diffident about the items for his son's keep and schooling and supposed
they would “be deducted from the Allowance. Yet I ought to observe,” he added,“that
Mr. Izard and Mr. William Lee, have supported their Families, Dr. Franklin has two
Grandsons and Mr. A. Lee a Nephew, Mr. Deane two Brothers, and afterwards a son. All
that I desire is that I may be treated like the others.” Some other interesting but
restrained observations on the Commissioners' expenses for servants, clerical assistance,
rent, furniture, horses, &c., follow.

All of these papers were sent in two“large Packetts” to John Lowell in Boston, who
was intending an immediate trip to Philadelphia (JA to Lowell, 21 Sept., DLC: Morgan Coll. of Signers). At the same time JA wrote to Elbridge Gerry in Congress asking him to see that the vouchers were returned
“by a safe Hand” when the Treasury had no more need of them (20 Sept., LbC, Adams Papers).

JA's original letter to Congress, his accounts as submitted, and the supporting vouchers
have all disappeared. Gerry wrote JA after receiving the packets from Lowell that he doubted whether the Treasury Board
would “be able to comply with the proposition of returning [the vouchers], which is contrary to their usual Practice” (12 Oct., Adams Papers). The Board evidently did not comply, but intensive searches have failed to locate
the originals in the Papers of the Continental Congress or in other likely sources.

What survives is a bare three-page summary in JA's hand, filed in the Adams Papers under date of Aug. 1779, showing that for twenty months' service with a salary of
11,428 livres per month there was due to JA, on the basis of his own reckoning of receipts and expenditures, the sum of 4,594
livres 12s. 9d. Concerning this he remarked: “If the Honourable Board do not approve
of this state, they will make what altera• { 222 } tions they judge right. It is very probable there may be Errors in Casting and otherwise.
The Business of keeping Accounts is a very dull Occupation to me, and that of transmitting
them and casting anew, still more so. I confess I have not Patience for it. The Board
will correct it as they think just. If they adjudge me in Debt the Ballance shall
be paid to their order on demand.”

There survives also a detailed record of JA's receipts and expenditures for the period 12 Feb. 1778 – 2 Aug. 1779, entered in one of his bound diary volumes. The final balance was never reckoned
there and would be difficult if not impossible to cast up now because of cancellations
and notations not easy to interpret, but the entries supply some of the details, often
of considerable interest, that the lost vouchers would have supplied more fully. These
accounts have been printed and annotated in JA's Diary and Autobiography, 2:325–344.

An incomplete or interim report on JA's accounts was made by the Treasury Board accountants on 25 Oct. 1779 and read in
Congress on the 27th (JCC, 15:1212; text not printed, but a copy was enclosed in James Lovell's letter to AA of 14 May 1780, printed below). It was referred on the same day to a committee of three members,
who reported on 15 Dec. and admitted all of JA's expenses except those for JQA (JCC, 15:1383; original in William Churchill Houston's hand, PCC, No. 19, I). For reasons unknown, Congress did not act on the committee's recommendation
until 15 April 1780, when it voted to adopt it without change. The text as entered
in the Secret Journal reads:

“That they [the committee] do not find any vote or proceeding of Congress, nor are
they informed of any general or received custom, on which the charge of moneys for
the education of the accomptant's son can be admitted; and though the same [i.e. sum?]
is inconsiderable, they are of opinion it ought to be rejected, that a precedent be
not established. That they are of opinion that the charge for books ought to be admitted,
on the ground of a practice which has obtained in different nations respecting their
publick ministers, and which is mentioned by Mr. Adams in the explanations attending
his vouchers. That they find the several charges in the said accounts conformable
to the strictest principles of economy; and that as far as Mr. Adams has been entrusted
with publick money, the same has been carefully and frugally expended” (JCC, 16:368–369).